1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to beverage dispensers and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an improved beverage dispenser configuration that increases dispenser performance by increasing the number of beverages dispensed at a desired reduced temperature.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustration of a prior art beverage dispenser 10. The beverage dispenser 10 includes a cooling chamber 11 having syrup coils 12 and a carbonation system 13 therein. The beverage dispenser 10 further includes a dispensing valve 14 mounted on the beverage dispenser 10 and connected to the syrup coils 12 and the carbonation system 13. Although not shown, the beverage dispenser 10 includes a refrigeration unit having an evaporator coil that extends into the cooling chamber 11 to maintain a cooling fluid within the cooling chamber 11 at approximately 32.degree. F.
A syrup source 15 connects to the syrup coils 12 to deliver beverage syrup thereto for cooling prior to dispensing from the dispensing valve 14. The syrup source 15 may be either a figal or a bag in a box system. When the syrup source 15 is a bag in a box system, the beverage dispenser 10 includes a pump to deliver the syrup to the syrup coils 12.
A carbon dioxide gas source 16 and a water source 17 connect to the carbonation system 13 to deliver carbon dioxide gas and water thereto, respectively. Although not always necessary, the beverage dispenser 10 may include a pump to deliver the water into the carbonation system 13. The carbonation system 13 consists of a carbonator that forms carbonated water from the carbon dioxide gas and the water delivered therein from the carbon dioxide gas source 16 and the water source 17, respectively. The carbonation system 13 further consists of a waterline positioned either prior to the carbonator to pre-chill the water or placed after the carbonator to chill the carbonated water prior to delivery to the dispensing valve 14.
The dispensing valve 14 when activated opens to deliver a metered amount of carbonated water and syrup which are mixed in a dispensing nozzle prior to delivery into a cup. In delivering a metered amount of carbonated water and syrup, the dispensing valve 14 produces a beverage having a proper ratio of syrup and carbonated water.
Although beverage dispenser 10 operates adequately to deliver beverages at or below a desired temperature of 40.degree. F. when the ambient temperature is less than 100.degree. F., the beverage dispenser 10 will not consistently dispense beverages at or below the desired temperature of 40.degree. F. when the ambient temperature rises above 100.degree. F. The syrup coils 12 and the carbonation system 13 cool the syrup and carbonated water, respectively, to temperatures well below the desired dispensing temperature of 40.degree. F. Unfortunately, the dispensing valve 14 resides outside the cooling chamber 11. Thus, when the beverage dispenser 10 is used "casually", a significant amount of syrup and carbonated water contained in the dispensing valve 14 and between the syrup coils 12 and carbonation system 13, respectively, are exposed and, therefore, heat to the ambient temperature. Consequently, upon the dispensing of a beverage, the heated syrup and carbonated water combines with the cooled syrup and carbonated water delivered from the syrup coils 12 and the carbonation system 13, respectively, to raise the temperature of the dispensed beverage outside of the desired temperate of 40.degree. F.
Furthermore, even when the beverage dispenser 10 is used extensively such that syrup and carbonated water do not reside within the dispensing valve 14 for a time period sufficiently long for the syrup and carbonated water to heat to ambient temperature, the dispensing valve 14 itself heats to the ambient temperature so that cooled syrup and carbonated water passing therethrough absorbs heat from the dispensing valve 14 thereby raising the temperature of the dispensed beverage beyond the desired temperature of 40.degree. F. Accordingly, the configuration of the beverage dispenser 10 is not optimal because it cannot consistently produce beverages at or below the desired temperature of 40.degree. F. when the ambient temperature is above 100.degree. F.
Thus, a beverage dispenser configuration that dispenses beverages at or below the desired temperature of 40.degree. F. in environments where temperatures routinely exceed 100.degree. F. will significantly improve over prior art beverage dispenser configurations.